Rock music is here to stay, with heavy hitters like The Grateful Dead going down in rock ‘n’ roll history. Perhaps the holy grail of any rock ‘n’ roll collection or piece of Grateful Dead memorabilia lies in one culturally historic automobile, known as “The Dred.” It is very rare in today’s collecting world that a music celebrity-owned, iconic and culturally important automobile shows up after 45 years. “The Dred” represents a frozen moment in time that references the Summer of Love of 1966, the early Grateful Dead, Owsley, LSD, rock ‘n’ roll music and ‘60s automobile art cars. Michaan’s is pleased to present such a historic automobile at auction on November 6, 2014.

“The Dred” estimated at $300,000-500,000

She’s got four of ’em…

The Grateful Dead’s newly discovered first band truck from 1966 is an über important collector vehicle. It is an automotive representation of a historical time, complete with the key players of the counterculture revolution. Originally purchased by Owsley Stanley in 1966 to move The Grateful Dead’s band equipment, Owsley (known as the father of LSD) was also The Dead’s first manager and original soundman. The infamous automobile was Owsley developed, along with the drug LSD and the notorious Wall-of-Sound audio equipment for The Dead. The Studebaker truck became the first of The Grateful Dead’s early “Caravan of Six” band vehicles, which included The Dead’s original Sweet Magnolia tour bus. Dead Heads may also remember the lyric from the song “Truckin”: “…what a long, strange trip it’s been…” and fondly link it to “The Dred.”

Pretty as she is comin’ and goin’….

The illustrated auction catalog will be posted online at www.michaans.com when it becomes available. Previews open at Michaan’s Auctions on October the 31st to November the 2nd, as well as the day of sale, November 6, 2014. “The Dred” will also be made available to view at Michaan’s Annex warehouse on October the 5th, November the 2nd and by appointment. Mid-century modern inquiries can be made to Mr. Greg Favors at (510) 227-2524. For general information please call (510) 740-0220 ext. 0 or e-mail info@michaans.com. Michaan’s Auctions is located at 2751 Todd Street, Alameda, CA 94501. Michaan’s Annex warehouse is located at 2701 Monarch Street, Alameda, CA 94501.

Be an “Auction Detective” and win $150 in Annex Auction credit at Michaan’s Auctions

Treasures abound every month at Michaan’s Annex Auctions. But, could it be possible to miss a treasure right under your nose? Put on your detective hat and help us figure it out. A mystery lot will be offered in our February Annex Auction, but, what is it? Identify the lot in question on our Facebook page and submit your guess for a chance to win $150 in Annex Auction credit! Good luck!

It seems there is no stopping the Michaan’s Auctions Annex. First came the new and improved location, moving the Annex to Building 20 on Monarch Street in Alameda, California. The approximate 65,000 square foot auction room floor now boasts a showroom that houses 3,000 to 4,000 lots; a substantial step up from its old average of about 2,000 lots. The new Annex was unveiled to the public in August of this year to record setting attendance levels and stellar sales. So, why not keep a good thing going? This was the exact sentiment of Michaan’s Auctions Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Scott Bradley. Noting the success of the expansion, his next projected move for the Annex is to go from two sale days to three.

Michaan’s Auctions Annex Auction Gallery

The additional sale day will immediately go into effect. The October Annex will begin on Tuesday the 9th and carry on to Wednesday and Thursday. Bradley recognized the need for an additional day due in large part to the flood of property that had been streaming into the Annex. “Annex customers, both buyers and sellers, have determined the growth that the venue has seen. From our end, we aim to meet that demand. So, not only did the expansion make sense, but the next logical step was to expand the sale itself.” Bradley projects that attendance will grow exponentially. If the growth of the Annex continues its upward climb, Bradley foresees the possibility of even more sale days as well as additional bin rooms.

One thing has remained constant about shopping at the Annex: the deals. The Annex auction is made up of lots from liquidated estates and various consignors, so each sale offers a new treasure hunt. The Annex is perfect for finding everything from unique home furnishings and artwork to fashion jewelry and collectibles. Brands seen at the Annex include Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware, Le Creuset, Wedgewood, Meissen and Steuben to name a few. Since most Annex lots do not have reserves, these retail brand items usually sell for a fraction of their department store price. Shoppers now have more opportunities than ever at the Michaan’s Auctions Annex to find unique property that translates into amazing deals.

I know so many of you out there are already Annex addicts; I used to work auction days and it was clear who was hooked…

“I can’t believe the price I got on that lot!”

“Oh yes, I’ll be coming back for my paddle tomorrow.”

“I drove over three hours to get here.”

Oh yes, I’ve seen the gleam in your eyes. Well Christmas has come early kids, specifically on Sunday, August the 5th at 9 a.m. The date marks the first Annex sale from its new and improved location. The new Annex will be unveiled at 2701 Monarch Street, Alameda, CA 94501, boasting an auction room floor of approximately 65,000 square feet.

Building 20 – New location for monthly Annex Auctions

Early floor set up for August Annex Auction

President Allen Michaan oversaw virtually every aspect of the renovation, noting, “The new Annex showroom takes our auction house to a completely new level. It is a beautiful, open, well-lit selling space that will allow us to expand the Annex auction from about 2,000 lots to 3,000 or 4,000 lots. Not only will it accommodate our increasing consignments, but the new location is also more convenient for our patrons. It is adjacent to our antiques faire parking lot, allowing shuttle service to and from both locations for our faire-goers. Beautiful new restroom facilities are also a welcome alternative to the porta potties currently being used at the antiques faire.”

Annex reception area under construction

The showroom will also include a projection screen with the Live Auctioneer’s feed of the monthly estate auction at Michaan’s Main Gallery, in progress from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on antique faire days. In addition, faire parking lot shuttles will now be conveniently stopping at the Annex showroom every 5 minutes.

Fireworks weren’t the only things to go sky high on the 4th of July; the Michaan’s Annex Auction went gangbusters! When all was said and done, the auction was the second highest grossing Annex event in Michaan’s history. So many people decided to make Michaan’s a part of their 4th of July fun and the packed warehouse was proof of that. So what were people snapping up? This pair of pictured dolls sold for $1,111 – I think the blond one looks just as shocked as I am. There was also a lot of 26 “Gene” dolls in their original boxes which did $1,404; as long as Gene wasn’t used as a firework holder, I’m happy.

Asian lots seem to always have bidders chomping at the bit. A large group of Chinese decorations included scholar’s objects such as bronze censers, cinnabar lacquer pieces and brush pots. It blew all projections out of the water, selling for $2,925. A hanging scroll of a horse marked Xu Beihong did the same, galloping out the door at $877. With numbers like these, I think the Asian Department is on to something…